Sister Christian
by Joy1
Summary: Long break- Tristan's response to Rory and Dean getting back together- Tristan gains insight into his relationship with Rory from his older sister.
1. The drive

Title: Sister Christian

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG

Chilton was busy as the students left for a long weekend. Much hustling and fussing could be seen and heard from the hallways. Tristan pulled a bag from his locker. It was slightly wedged so he had to tug pretty hard to get it out; the backlash was he nearly hit Rory with the bag. 

"Oh sorry- Hey Rory…" Tristan said distractedly.

"No problem… Going on a trip?"

"Yeah, my sister and I are going to see my grandmother for the weekend," he responded. 

"For some reason I thought you were an only child… I guess that's because I'm one," Rory said as she and Tristan walked out of the school. 

"I am in some ways… She's my half sister- we have the same father. It's his mother we are seeing. She was nine when I was born so we are each an only child but not."

Thina Dugrey sat on the roof of her restored 57' Chevy convertible, waiting for her little brother. He emerged from the halls of her former high school with a bag and a girl. She smirked slightly at the sight. Her well-worn jeans and Pink Floyd t-shirt did not fit at Chilton but then again she never fit a Chilton. She slid off the car and grabbed some clothes from the back of the car. "Think fast," Thina yelled at her brother causing him to drop his bag and grab the clothes. 

Tristan looked at his sister in question. "You're not allowed in my car with that hideous straight jacket on. Go change and I'll behave myself," she said with a sweet smile.

Rory watched dumbly at the strange exchange. "I must have scared him, 'cause he is normally good with introductions… Hi, I'm Thina, Tristan's older sister."

"Oh sorry… this is Rory. Rory this is my sister," Tristan finally managed. 

"Nice to meet you," Rory said quietly. "I guess your dad likes the unusual T names, huh?" trying to make conversation.

"Yeah… Tristan go get changed. I'll keep your friend entertained while your gone. I won't even embarrass you," his older sister said pushing him toward the school. All he could do is hope for the best and change. "My dad wanted to name me Christian if I were a boy, but I wasn't. Since I was a girl and he felt Christian was a boy's name, he found Thina, which means Christian. I like it because it's unusual.Tristan on the other hand was named because he was a sad baby."

"Excuse me? He was a sad baby so they named him Tristan?" Rory asked

"People are wrong when they say babies are a blank slate at birth. There was tons of stress around his birth because his mom pregnancy with him had triggered my parents' divorce. His folks married on the day my parents' divorce was final. The name Tristan means sad and that is what he was… I can still see his little face in my head… They didn't give him a name for a month. I personally think that was cruel," Thina responded. 

"What was cruel?" Tristan appeared from the entrance of the school, wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt that made his eyes seem more brilliant. 

"The fact that dad wouldn't give you a name right away," his sister answered. 

"Why are you talking about that?" he looked at her in annoyance. 

"Because I was explaining the T name thing… Besides I didn't tell any embarrassing childhood stories or anything," she said batting her eyes. 

A loud sound came from about ten feet away in the form of the public bus pulling away. "Oh no! I missed the bus- my mom was supposed to meet me at the bus stop," Rory said in frustration.

"Hey no big deal… I made you miss the bus; I'll drive you home. Tristan you don't mind right?"

A smile spread across his face, "No not a bit." A car ride with Rory and his sister. Well his sister had to be part of the equation… this time. 

"Trist you get in the back so our guest can have the front seat… I'm not playing chauffer… So where do you live?" Thina asked.

"Stars Hollow… I'll give you directions," Rory said casually as Tristan took the opportunity to snag a notebook from his bag to jot down the directions and any other important details about Miss Gilmore. 

When his sister noticed his actions, she fused, "Kid! Studying is not allowed in this car!" 

"Studying would involve books, which I don't have. I'm reviewing and making notes… You two have fun doing the girl talk thing…"

Thina rolled her eyes and took a look at the long empty road in front of her. She then swiveled in her seat, kept the steering wheel steady with one hand and grabbed his notebook with the other. Tristan went voice a complaint but was soon silenced by his sister who examined the page and then stated, "That is a topic worth review and making notes!"

"You can be such a child!" he said in frustration. 

"Really?" she said with a laugh and left Tristan to lick his wounds. 

The three traveled in relative silence with the radio as a diversion. U2 came on singing 'In the name of love/ Pride' at which Rory was mouthing the words and Thina was singing. When the chorus hit, Thina sang her lungs out. She looked at Rory and smiled. "Come on I know you know the words. It's fun… You are young in a convertible driving fast with people who will not make fun of you- SING!"

"I would… but I don't trust that _no one_ in this car would make fun of me… He may have gotten better, but I'm not giving him any ammunition…" Rory said plainly. 

"Ammunition, huh? We've talked about you being a little prick… This is what happens- people don't trust you," Thina said into the rear view mirror to her brother. 

"I… I'd love to hear you…" Tristan responded.

"Sure you would," Rory answered. 

Thina stared Tristan down in the mirror prompting him to roll his eyes and sit back with a huff. Thina flipped through the stations until she found a suitable song for Tristan to beg for forgiveness with and yet ham it up. It soon came in the form of the Motown hit 'Ain't too proud to beg.' Thina and Tristan both started singing it full force driving down the street. Tristan pretended to be holding a microphone as he sang to Rory, 

"Now I heard a crying man,

Is half a man with no sense of pride.

But if I have to cry to keep you, 

I don't mind weepin' if it will keep you by my side.

_Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darling._

_Ooo, don't leave me girl. (Don't you go)_

_Ain't too proud to plead baby, baby._

_Please don't leave me girl. (Don't you go)"_

_ _

Rory laughed at the DuGrey siblings and eventually did join into the merriment. She had never seen Tristan behave this way… He was out and out silly. He also hadn't asked her out in a while, so she figured he was content with them being friends. "Oh!" Rory exclaimed. "Turn at the chicken." Thina did as she was instructed and they headed to the center of town. They pulled up just before the bus did and Lorelei Gilmore was waiting for her daughter with coffee in hand. 

"Wow… Nice ride," Lorelei said as Rory got out of the car. 

"I made her miss the bus so driving her home, was the least I could do."

"Thanks Thina. It was nice to meet you… Mom this is Thina and Tristan…"

"DuGrey…" Lorelei finished. Thina just stared at her a moment and then jumped from the car and hugged the elder Gilmore for all she was worth. 

"Lorelei… I haven't seen you in years… Wow, Rory's yours," Thina said with great enthusiasm while Tristan and Rory just tried to process that the two women knew each other. 

"You're so grown up… Wow! You obviously didn't get stuck in the staunchly crowd," Lorelei said eyeing Thina's clothing. 

"Nope… Thanks to you… I paid my way through college and took care of my grandparents. When our grandfather died, I got controlling interest in his investments and stuff… the inheritance Dad thought was owed him. I now run a homeless center in Hartford. I have to laugh whenever my Dad freaks about the money I spend on the 'ingrates' of the community. We are off to see our grandmother for the weekend. I'm planning on doing my best to deprogram my little brother from the 'money good, women good, alcohol good' speeches he gets at home."

"Yeah, your dad was always really into those three things," Lorelei responded. "Out of curiosity, what do you mean by 'thanks to me'?"

"The last time you came over to say goodbye you told me to be true to myself no matter who adults told me I was. You said that choices come with responsibilities and gifts; you had both. I held fast to that piece of sage sixteen year old advice for sixteen years now. It has served me well."

"Oh yeah… Well, here is my gift," Lorelei said kissing her daughter's head.

"Hey," Thina said digging through her car for a pen and paper before absconding a page from Tristan's notebook and his pen, much to his annoyance. "Give me your phone number I would love to catch up… as long as it's not weird for you…"

"I'd like that. It's always good to find solidarity with other rebels of the snooty blue bloods we were born to. Thanks for driving her home," Lorelei said giving Thina another hug as Tristan moved to the front seat. 

"Bye Rory. I'll see you at school on Monday."

"Yeah… Thanks again for the ride."

The Gilmore Girls walked back through town toward their home. "Hey kid," Thina said turning to her brother, "I could probably get us a meal with them if you want. I'd love to talk to Lorelei and I know you wouldn't mind being alone with Rory."

"That's OK. That was enough communing for the time being. Plus I really don't want to get into a fist fight with her ex."

"Why would that happen?"

"Because the last time we were in the same room we got into a fight," Tristan said looking at his shoes. 

"Why?"

"Because, as you would put it, I was being a little prick… I have gotten any girl in the school for so long that when Rory kept turning me down, she became a challenge… Before you say anything, its not like that anymore. I promise."

"So you like her?" Thina said as they drove out of Stars Hollow.

"I don't know if I want to talk about this."

"Come on. We have hours to kill before getting to grandma's."


	2. Over the hill and through the woods

Title: Over the hill and through the woods.

Name: Joy

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG

"So what you are trying to tell me is you like this girl but you don't want to talk about it because I know her mom?" Thina asked Tristan as they left Stars Hollow.

"No. Its just weird to talk about this with you, especially now that you've met her."

"Why is that weird?"

"You're my sister… My older sister. My sister that loves to mock me!" Tristan said exasperated.

"I mock you only to diffuse the gigantic ego you carry around. Besides, as Rory said, you've gotten better," Thina said batting her eyes. 

Tristan rolled his eyes and sat in a huff. "So how do you know her mom?"

"Lorelei was my babysitter when I was a kid. Dad didn't want some unwed mother being a bad influence on me, so she wasn't allowed to sit for me anymore. I got a real kick out of the fact that he fired Lorelei for being pregnant, when he had gotten your mom pregnant. I wasn't supposed to know what happened, but I did."

"Wow. Have you ever forgiven dad for… me?"

"Hey kid. Don't do that! I love you more then anything. I wouldn't trade you for all the money in the world. Have I forgiven dad for the affair and hurting my mom so much? I don't know. Maybe not. You were the awesome thing that came out of that situation. If you hadn't been born, there is no way I would have ever spoken to dad again," Thina confessed.

"But if my mom hadn't gotten pregnant with me, you never would have known."

Thina cleared her mind and sighed. "I guess you are old enough for me to say this. Hell, you're not a virgin anymore! I walked in on your parents. I knew. I knew for a while."

"You walked in on my parents… that's awful. And what does it matter I'm not a virgin anymore?"

"Well, I don't think anyone should ever be forced to think of their parents having sex… It's just a weird thought," she said after a while. 

"Hey, how did you know about me… not being a virgin?" Tristan asked with raised eyebrow. 

"How else do you explain the giant ego, the string of trophy wife wanna-bes you dated, and the general prick behavior in a matter of a month? I mean, I saw you one week and you were my brother. The next week you were dad. Sex was the only explanation," she commented. "Now answer me this- has the feeling of power finally worn off or is there another reason for the behavior shift?"

Tristan shift uncomfortably in his seat, "I don't want…" His sentence was cut off be a glare from his sister, "All right fine! It's Rory! She's the reason. Now can we drop it."

"No way. I want details. How'd you meet?"

"She transferred into my class a month late and was really smart. She beat Paris to a question, her first day," Tristan said with pride. 

"Wow… Lorelei was always amazingly smart."

"Yeah well, I could tell she was innocent, so…"

"So you called her MARY! I hate you… You are so evil!" Thina said hitting her brother's arm. 

"I would ask her out and she would turn me down. She became this amazing challenge," he said with a glint in his eye.

"Once again…. YOU ARE EVIL!!!"

"Hold it… Here comes the part where I keep falling on my face. I didn't know she had a boyfriend, because when she started school she didn't. You know the winter dance," Tristan asked his sister. She nodded. "Well, she was in line to get tickets. Traditionally the guys get the tickets so I sidled up to her to ask her. I asked she turned me down, saying she had someone to go to it with. I really wanted to go with her."

"She got to the dance and looked amazing in this dark blue dress. She was having such a good time with her boyfriend, I was sick. I just watched them talk and dance. He would stare into her eyes the way I wanted to. She was looking at him, this bag boy, the way I felt I was entitled to be gazed at," Tristan said gritting his teeth.

"I now understand why she won't have anything to do with you!" Thina said.

"I'm not done yet… I was so jealous I nearly came to blows with the guy. She just took his hand and left. I wasn't worth her time or energy. She had what she wanted and all I wanted was to him. That was the moment I realized she wasn't a challenge anymore. There was something else there."

"Well, so what'd you do?"

"I stared at her in class. My teacher busted me for memorizing her ear. I decided I needed to be distracted so I started looking for a good girlfriend. I found Summer- big mistake. Later, I figured out it was just an attempt to get Rory's attention, who still could care less about me. I made out with Summer leaning against her locker. She just politely asked me to move."

"I like this girl. If you get her I approve greatly."

"I don't think I'm going to get her," Tristan said looking down. 

"Oh, she's still dating that guy!" Thina said.

"No, they broke up."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I'm still the jerk that asked her out for months."

"Well, you seemed to be friends when she got in the car. How'd that happen?"

"Summer dumped me on my ass in front of my class at a big party. Rory was there trying to get her mind off the break up she just went through," he said. "I was sitting in a quiet room licking my wounds when she found me by accident. I said something like I bet she and the rest of the class loved watching me get dumped. She said she didn't and she felt bad for me. I told her I didn't want to talk about it, so she asked about a test we had. I just couldn't fathom the fact she was being nice to me especially after all the crap I put her through." 

"She's a nice girl. Rory's definitely the type of girl I'd like to see you date," Thina said touching the back of his neck.

"So we sat and talked a little. She told me about having just been dumped the night before. I told her the guy was a moron and asked if she thought they'd be getting back together. She said he was pretty determined. She asked if I thought Summer and I would get back together… I had to laugh and said no. I just couldn't believe how cool she was and sweet, so I…" he paused.

"You what?" Thina asked with a side glare.

"Kissed her."

"Were you trying to make her cry?" she said in frustration. 

"No… And how did you know she would cry?"

"Idiot! She had been dating this guy a while right? She isn't one to date just to date. She had real feelings for him. You just reinforced the fact you weren't her boyfriend," she said as she shook her head. 

"Oh… Well, then we talked about it at school. We were in a project together and things got kind of weird."

"She apologized for crying, didn't she?"

"Yeah… How do you do that?"

Thina smiled, "I think what would Lorelei have done. Anyway, go ahead."

"So we talked and she told me her crying didn't have to do with the kiss, which I of course didn't believe. She then complimented my kissing to make me feel better. I suggested trying it again to which I quickly realized she wasn't going to think it was funny or appropriate… Don't say anything please. I know I'm a moron when it comes to this girl… She suggested I date girls with more substance like Paris… Hey, she said something I didn't get. She said, 'Louie, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship' or something like that."

"I laugh in your general direction. It is a line in Casablanca. When we get back, why don't you invite Rory to my place and I'll have Michael come to and we'll watch Casablanca?"

Tristan thought it over, "Maybe… I don't know."

"So back to the saga of Tristan and Rory."

"There is no Tristan and Rory… I wish it were different, but its not."

"Well, have you tried to tell her?" Thina asked. 

"I went out with Paris and I realized that there was no point. I only wanted to date Rory. I mentioned to Paris that it was Rory's idea that we go out and she flipped out. She yelled at Rory and totally freaked. I then had to deal with Rory being mad that I didn't try with Paris."

"Uh-oh!"

"Yeah. So the only thing I could say was it wasn't fair for me to keep taking Paris out if I liked someone else. I thought then she would get it. Oh NO. Oblivious girl says, 'So you're not over Summer, huh?' I couldn't believe it. All I could say was sort of laugh and said, 'Yeah, I'm not over Summer,' rolling my eyes. That is sort where it was left. We sort of talk, but nothing major."

Thina looked at her brother's depressed posture, "You realize she may not be over her boyfriend. It may be a while before you'll get a real shot. Do the friend thing. I know you've never been good at that part, but for a girl like Rory you have to learn."

"Thanks… Can you help me figure it out?"

"What are big sister's for?"


	3. The shelter

Title: Sister Christian

Title: Sister Christian

Author: Joy

Email: [SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com][1]

Rating: PG-13

"Alright Thina, oh you of great wisdom, how do I do the friend thing with Rory?" Tristan asked on their way home from their grandmother's house. It was a good visit with a very old woman. Tristan had mainly tried to stay out of the way. Thina was much better at the caretaker roll then he. He continually marveled at the way his sister treated those around her. She was nothing like their father. It wasn't people of privilege she was kind to so that she would have connections but rather those who needed help. She had a heart like Rory.

"I'm not like you… I don't know how to be…nice…for the sake of nice," he muttered pitifully. 

Thina assessed their excursion as a success by the way Tristan asked the question. "It's not that you aren't like me…It's you haven't been raised to cultivate kindness in yourself and others. Truth is you function on the thought that power is the only thing of importance in the world. You know how to shmuse with the best of them but you don't know how to be sincere. Until you learn that Rory Gilmore will always be out of reach."

"Ok, but how do I change that."

"You work at it moron. Practice doing random acts of kindness and expect nothing in return. Small things will be best- helping in the kitchen with the staff, calling your mom rather then waiting for her to call, write grandma…things like that. Then move onto bigger things like finding out what Rory likes and doing something nice for her," Thina stated in absolute authority on all things pure and true. 

"All right, I'll try," Tristan sighed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tires squeal into the drive of Thina's shelter, causing a great deal of screaming outside. Tristan stormed into the building hell bent on a confrontation with his sister. Thina's boyfriend slash would be fiancé Michael saw the young man storming the shelter from the kitchen. "Your little prince spoiled is here!" Michael informed Thina as she walked toward the door to see the commotion. 

Tristan slammed his hands down on one of the tables that was going to be used for dinner and preceded to turn it over. "I HATE YOU!!! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP!!!" Tristan screamed at his sister.

Thina was not pleased at all. She walked up to her little brother and grabbed hold of his ear putting pressure on a nerve in order to cause the boy pain. "I don't know what your problem is but **_one_** you don't talk that way to me, **_two_** you will clean up the mess you made including wiping down this table so it is ready for dinner, and **_three_** you will never utter those three words to me again. Do you understand?" Thina said directly into Tristan's aching ear. "I don't tolerate that kind of behavior from anyone who lives here and I sure as hell am not going to tolerate it from you. You know better. Now get to work." Thina let go of his ear and threw a washcloth in his face. 

Michael and one of the volunteers and the shelter went to help Tristan with the table only to have Thina come back to them. "He knocked it over by himself, he can clean it up by himself. Those lily-white hands of his need some clauses. He needs to learn there are consequences to actions… Sometimes money and connections can't help you. This is one of those times. Tristan will do it himself even if it takes him all night."

Tristan stared at his sister in amazement. She had never been so cold to him… then again he had just said he hated her. "You're serious?" he asked. 

"You're in my domain now rich boy. There is no special treatment, especially for you. You will turn the table back over, wash it down, and reset the twenty place setting you knocked over. You will then go into the kitchen and wash all the silverware that you knocked off the table. You will serve the people food and only then will you and I talk. Until then you are on your own with me watching every move you make. If you grumble about the work, I'll add more on. I'm not opposed to having you work all night for endangering the people who live here by racing into the parking lot. Welcome to the other side DuGrey. I had great hopes for the progress I saw in you. Now you're just a shorter and poorer version of Dad." She turned on her heal and walked away from him. 

Tristan called after her, "My clothes my get ruined if I do…" 

Abruptly turning Thina shot him an icy glare, "More concerned about the clothes on your back then the people you might have hurt in the parking lot. Why am I even surprised? Go home Tristan… You belong to that world. I'll see you… at Thanksgiving."

Tristan felt cold inside. His older sister didn't want to see him for months. In fact it was obvious she didn't want to see him at all. Disgust was the only emotion on her face as she faced him. "Thina?" he choked out weakly. 

"Goodbye Tristan," she uttered and went to sooth a crying child that had been scared by his entrance. He watched his sister mother the little girl wiping away the tears from her dark face. Tristan walked out of the dining room not picking up his feet. 

Outside he sat in his badly parked car and switched on the ignition. He went to leave and the icy truth in his sister's words haunted him. _Why am I even surprised? Go home Tristan… You belong to that world. _He turned his car around and parked it next to Thina's in the parking lot at the back of the building. Tristan returned to the dining room shame faced as he began to clean up after the tantrum he threw. 

Michael stared as he saw the blond boy retrieving silverware from the floor. Tristan piled it into a stray cup on the floor. He stacked the other cups together. Silently he set about doing what Thina required of him. He turned the table back on its legs, straining to get into place. It was easier to knock down then to set up. 

Tristan didn't look up from his work knowing better then to seek approval from his sister yet. In the kitchen, he retrieved a dish tub to put all the silverware and cups in. With rolled up sleeves Tristan set the utensils to soak while he wiped the table down. Michael smiled at his 'little brother's progress. "Cake eater," he called. "You're doing good… If you really want to endear yourself to your big sis…go talk to some of our guests."

The teenager looked at the older man and nodded, "Thanks… Can I ask? What's up with you and Thina these days?"

"I hope to marry her… but your dad did successfully instill the fear of marriage into her heart. One day maybe if I stick through enough of the hard stuff, she'll realize I want to stick around forever," Michael answered thoughtfully. "Anyway, get back to work before she decides to throw you out on your ear."

"Yeah…"

The evening proceeded with Tristan serving and cleaning as his sister commanded with no complaint. Suddenly the loss of the love of his sister was much more important then his pride or his persona. 

With dinner done and several enlightening conversations had, Tristan found himself sitting at a table with an old man whom had fallen asleep at the table in his wheelchair. Tristan looked to his sister to say quietly, "Thina, does Mr. Johnson have a bed here?"

"Down the first hall on the right. His is the second cot."

"Why doesn't he have a room?"

"This isn't the holiday inn Tristan. We normally only allow people to stay for a month before we turn their beds over to someone new. I'm allowing him to live out the remainder of his days here but I can't give him his own room."

Tristan looked at his sister and then rolled Mr. Johnson to his bed. This was a world he didn't know at all and yet Thina fit into it perfectly, caring for the hurt and the homeless. Tristan stared at the old man sleep after he got him into bed. 

Thina came and sat down next to her little brother. "You done good kid. I didn't expect you to come back."

"I don't want to become dad," he said quietly.

Thina smirked, "There's hope for you yet." The siblings hugged and all was forgiven."Now what prompted your temper tantrum?"

"Guess?" 

"Rory?" she said with wisdom.

"Yeah… She got back together with her boyfriend… I was there… I watched them fight about me and I was happy," he said with disgust. "And then she told him she loved him… They started making out right there in the front of the school."

"And you were dieing inside," she said as she put her arm around her little brother.

"I was just so frustrated because I had gotten tickets for us to go to this concert to see one of her favorite bands and she wouldn't go with me."

"So your act of kindness went un-rewarded," Thina looked at him with wise eyes.

"I just thought it would be fine once we went out together because I would sweet to her and lavish all sorts of gifts on her… and then she said she hated me and she loved him. I just blew," Tristan said with his face in his hands.

"Shall I show you the error of your ways or can you see them from here?" Thina asked quietly running her fingers through his hair. 

"Tell me- I need to know. I need my humiliation to be complete."

The smirk of humor appeared on his sister's face. "You ran to the front of the line without having earned the right to be there. The guy before you paid his dues- I'm sure he's dealt with Lorelei a number of times in order to secure his position with Rory. Rory wanted you as a friend and you pushed for more. I don't know what happened to prompt her to say she hated you, but I don't think you're blameless. She probably does love this guy. Rory doesn't strike me as the type to use those words lightly." Tristan sat staring at the ground. 

"How important is Rory to you Tristan?" 

He looked at her timidly, "I want to have her around…I want to have her trust."

"That's a big deal… Apologizes are in order. If you want her trust, or even her in your life you have to make peace with the situation and wait," Thina stated.

"Peace and Wait? What do you mean?" Tristan asked.

"Apologize to Rory for pushing, correct any miscommunications you may have caused, and the big one is make peace with the boyfriend. He's a part of her life. If you want any of her time or attention you have acknowledge his right to be with her. You're the outsider- not him. Once you've done all that you walk away. Say hi to her in the halls and talk to occasionally but you DON'T PUSH!"

"I have never had to work to be with a girl before… And there is no promise she is ever going to like me as more than a friend… I just can't…" Tristan muttered.

"To have someone like Rory in your life you have to work for it. If you want to stay like Dad you can just ignore Rory. If you want to move beyond his superficial relationships then you have to expect that it won't be easy. Truth is there are other Rory's out there you just have to learn how to stop torturing them," Thina said quietly.

"You were a Rory weren't you?" 

"Yeah… and I had my very own Tristan who tortured me," she spoke soothingly. 

"Where is he now?" Tristan asked.

"I haven't a clue… I gave up hope of him being human my junior year… But I got Michael so I'm happy."

"Rory's happy…" Tristan breathed. 

"And maybe its time to let Rory be happy and you to figure out who you want to be – not because you want her heart but because you want to be a better person," the older DuGrey said leaning her forehead to her brother's. 

"Yeah… I guess it's time to let her go…"

"Yeah…"

   [1]: mailto:SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com



End file.
